The Art of Escape (Part 1)

The Art of Fugue to be performed at all, since he prepared it in open score and left the climax incomplete. On our next Pipedreams program, we give life to theory, as an international array of soloists leads us through Bach’s contrapuntal maze, this music which astounds the mind and delights the ear simultaneously. A fugue too many? Not to worry, we’ll provide a map to help you listen, and hand you all the keys necessary to open the doors of mystery. How does it end?

About the title: in France, the term to make a fugue means to take a trip or to run away. Try asking a computer to translate L’Art de la Fugue. In any event, listening to this magnum opus by Mr. Bach is, without a doubt, its own special kind of trip. And where once there was only one available recording of The Art of Fugue, now many performers have added their personal views to the ongoing discourse. We continue and complete the journey next week.